Coupling for conveyer-shafts.



No. 893,143. PATENTED JULY 14, 1908. v -P. 0. CALDWELL.

COUPLING FOR GONVEYBR SHAFTS. v APPL0ATION FILED MAY 4, 1908 j UNITED STATES FRANK C. CALDWELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COUPLING FOR CONVEYER-SHAFTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

-Application filed May 4, 1908. Serial No. 430,815.

Patented July 14, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. CALDWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use-- ful Improvements in Cou lings for Conveyer- Shafts, of which the fol owing is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to spiral co'nveyers and has for its object the provision of an improved coupling for connecting the ends of adjacent sections or len the of the conveyer shaft. Its novelty will be hereinafter set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims. 7

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 represents the adjacent ends of two sections of spiral conveyer, coupled together with my improved coupling, part of one of said sections being broken away to expose the internal construction of the cou ling; and Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section o' the coupling between the adjacent ends of the conveyer shaft.

The same letters of reference are used to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The conveyer shaft is of tubular form, con

sisting of the pipes A A having the spiral conveyer blades B B coiled around and secured to them in the usual or any suitable manner. Located within each of the hollow shafts A A, and extending inward from its outer end about six inches in the resent instance, is a hollow bushing C wit in which snugly fit the opposite ends of the coupling shaft D, said shaft preferably extending through approximately the full length of the bushings C. The parts are secured together, in part, by bolts E E passing through the hollow shafts A-A bushings C and coupling shaft D. In addition to the bolts E E, the bushings C are firmly secured within and locked to the hollow shafts A A by the pro: vision, upon their opposite sides, of longitudinal seats a a, Fig. 2, into which the opposite walls of the hollow shafts are forced by suitable means. This provision, together with the bolts E E, serves to efiectively secure the bushings in fixed position in the ends of the hollow shafts. The bushings being thus firmly secured within the hollow shafts, they are in turn locked to the coupling shaft D by the provision in the latter of a longitudinal groove or seat 01, into which fit longitudinal keys or ribs (1 integrally formed upon the inner faces of the bushings C, Fig. 2. The adjacent ends of the conveyer shafts A A are thus firmly and securely locked to the coupling shaft D and to each other, and the twisting strain to which they are subjected in use is prevented, by the locking of the conveyer shafts to the bushings and the bushings to the. coupling shaft by the means described, from reaching the bolts E E and shearing them ofl, as it would otherwise be liable to do; and a sim le and strong coupling for the shafts is pro uced. The adjacent ends of the shafts are left far enough apart to admita supporting hanger between them, in the bearing of which the exposed portion of the coupling shaft D fits and turns, as usual.

Having thus fully described my invention I claim:

1. The herein-described conveyer shaft coupling, com rising the hollow shafts A A, the bushings secured within the adjacent ends thereof by means of the longitudinal seats a formed in the outer surfaces of the bushin s and the engagement of the walls of the holf shaft D fitting in said bushings and provided with the longitudinal seat (1 engaged by the integrally-formed keys or ribs upon the inner faces of the bushings C; substantially as described.

2. The herein described conveyer shaft couplin comprising the hollow shafts A A, the bus ings C secured in the adjacent ends thereof by means of the bolts E E and'the longitudinal seats formed in the outer faces of the bushings and engaged by the walls of the hollow shafts, and the coupling shaft D fitting within the bushings C and provided with the seat d engaged by the integrallyformed keys or ribs a upon the inner faces of the bushings C; substantially as described.

FRANK C. CALDWELL.

Witnesses:

EDWARD REcToR, LOUIS B. ERWIN.

0W shafts therewith, and the coupling. 

